Torpedo-projectile.



No. 667,048. Patented 1an. 29, l90l. E. F. WHITMAN.

TDRPEDO PROJECTILE.

(Applibtin med .my e, 19oo.\ (No Model.)

mwN-run UNITED STATES PATENT .OFEICL EDSON F. WHITMAN, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TiORPEDO-PROJECTILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,048, dated January 29, 1901.

Application filed July 6, 1900- My invention consists in combiningr with a torpedo-projectile a device by which its di reotion, when it comes near an underlying object, shall be -so changed as to cause the projectile to take a nearly direct downward course, and thus strike some part of the underlying object, and in improvements in the charging andv ignition.

The objects are to make a torpedo-projectile which shall be more likely to strike the object aimed at and have a greater effect in exploding than those now in use. These objects I attain'sby the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows one of my torpodoesin elevation. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 isa cross-section,enlarged, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 2.

The body of `the torpedo is represented in the drawings by A, and the headpi'ece by Safety-caps C and C' are placed on the ends' of the torpedoes when they are stored or in transit and are only removed when the torpedo is placed in the gun. A swinging arm Il is attached to the torpedo by means of a joint at H3 and aloosely-fitting band II, which is free to swing around the body of the torpedo. A chain H5 (also indicated by dotted lines) serves to connectthe swinging arm Il to the torpedo by a swiveling-collar Il?, the` connection being made at l1'.

When the torpedo is placed in the gun, the arm lI and itsjchain H5 are arranged as indicated by fll lines in Fig. 1. I do not wish to confine myself to one arm, as a number may be used, in which case it is net necessary that they should be swivelly attached. When the projectile leaves tlie mouth of the gun, the arm ll drops, as indicated-by dotted lines, Fig. l. The chain serves to hold the arm from swinging back. The function of this arm is to change the direction of the projectile in passing over an object--lor instance, we suppose that the. torpedo in its flight comes soy srai No. 22.748. No man.)

near any part of a vessel or any land construction that thearm H comes in contact with any fixed part and iseheeked. This will at once throw its forward end downward and change the direction ol flight, causing the torpedo to pitch downward, and thus strike the object, over which it would otherwise fly harmlessly.

The body of the torpedo is filled with an explosive K, and, in addition to the explosive, masses N N of some inflammable material may be added, so that upon the explosion of the torpedo tlieiuflaimnable matter will spread, setting fire to the surroundingobjects.

A percussion-cap L is mounted upon a tube L' at the front of the projectile audconnects with a column of powder L2, by means of which the flame from the exploded cap will be communicated to the contents K.

A wire cage W surrounds the exlplosive K, so as to confine it to the center of the chainber and permit of packing missiles R between the explosiveand the walls of the torpedo. To keep the missiles in their places, longitudinal division-bars P P P I are affixed to the outside of the wire cage W. (See Fig. 3.)

A t the rear end of the torpedo I have a percussiorvcap F on the tube F', so arranged that the fire from the cap will ignite the slowmatclrfuse 'l2 iu the tube T3. The cap is exploded by the force of the powder in the gun actingon the ham mer-piece 'l, the said hammer-piece being normally held away from the cap by the spring 'l". Although the cap F at the rear of the torpedo is exploded in the"v gun, its effect is not communicated to the explosive charge for some time, `(which is delinitely fixed by the maker,) so that the explosion will not take place until the torpedo has made a certain flight.

A sabot S,0f ordinary construeti0n,is mounted on the part D.

I claim- In a torpedo-projectile; aswinging arm pivoted at its rear end to a band adapted to turn loosely on the body of the projectile and free to swing downwardly during thev flight of the projectile; a chain, one end ot which is attached to the front end ofthe projectile, and

the other end, to the free end 4ol' the saidl swinging arm, whereby the said arm hangs below the' projectile during the flight, and in such a position thai when it., tho-said" arm, two subscribipgy-witesses, on Lhisd day of meets an obstacle, it will cause the projectile July, A. D. lQOO. to pitch downward onto the object and destroy it,snbst,ant,ially as and for the-purpose EDSON' F. WHITMAN.

l5 sot forth.

l v I Witnessesz In testimony whereof I have signed my 'FRANK G. PARKER, name to. this specification, in thopl'esence of l l `ANNA C. K I1 \IG SBURY.

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